The Drowned Siren

Eleanor Sanders’ friends are dead. Everyone knows that. But the exact circumstances of their deaths… she’ll take that to the grave.

Eleanor Sanders’ friends are dead. Everyone knows that. But the exact circumstances of their deaths… she’ll take that to the grave.

University student, Eleanor Sanders, dreams of a life in the spotlight. Often disregarded as plain and boring, Eleanor is thrilled when the beautiful Cheyenne Leonsdale takes notice. Cheyenne, the American who wants to be everything British, showers Eleanor with attention, and Eleanor begins to fall for her. But what happens when Eleanor realises that Cheyenne’s love only lasts for so long?

A few years later, after living in LA, some moderate success in screenwriting and a boyfriend whose face is a fixture on tabloid front pages, Eleanor locks herself in her hotel suite and emerges only for her daily plunge into the sea, dreaming of revenge and a world where those who doubted her would fear to do so again. A young woman once driven by success, is now driven by obsession.

A dual timeline novel set between Scotland and LA, the events of the recent past and the present day, builds up to the biggest party of the year, what led to the deaths and what became of Eleanor in the fallout.

The Drowned Siren showcases the cracks that emerge in friendships as tensions flare, and asks what happens when revenge fantasies become more than make believe? What happens when the person who makes you fly drops you for someone new? What do you have left to hold on to?

Author Biography

Callisto Lodwick was born in New Jersey, then lived for many years in Switzerland and San Francisco, finally settling in England. She is currently studying English Literature and Classics at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. She has been a finalist in Building U’s $1000 for 1000 Words, Peninsula Library Systems’ YANovCon and the Layla Beben Writing Contest.